“Now it’s your turn, Harry,” they said, after he had finished.
Harry had been thinking of what to recite, and a few scraps of an original song floated into his mind. He gave it in his own sweet tenor voice, and it fairly took the country folk by storm. He was encored so much that he had to follow with several others.
“You’re the hero of the evening,” whispered Jack, and Harry flushed furiously when the pretty girl beside him said the same thing.
Then Pickles was called in, and soon the colored boy had every one joining in the chorus of “Sweet Times Comin’ By and By,” and “Who’s Dat A-nockin’ at De Doah?” Then Pickles gave a breakdown, and got several of the old countrymen so warmed up that they took off their coats and joined in.
Following the singing came half-a-dozen games, hunt the slipper, pillows and keys, fortune-telling, forfeits and the like. Perhaps some kissing was done, too, but in telling the story to me the boys whose fortunes I am relating did not mention this, for reasons purely their own.
“It’s the best party I ever attended in my life!” cried Boxy to Harry, as they passed each other in the hall. “Beats a stiff town party all to bits!” And Harry agreed with him.
It was after five o’clock when some one suggested that they break up. Then clock and watches were consulted, and a raid was made on the closets where hats, bonnets, overcoats and tippets were stored. Fifteen minutes later the sleighs were brought around, good-bys were said, and off went the merry revelers, leaving the five boys to return to their camp in the early dawn, completely tired out, but happier than they had been for many a day.
“I never expect to attend another party like it,” said Jack. “It is one of the brightest spots in the tour of the Zero Club, to my way of thinking.”
“You are right, Jack. They treated us as if we were their warmest friends. It’s a pity city folks cannot do as well by their country cousins when they come to town.”
After all that dancing and romping around, it was a weary walk back to the temporary camp, but finally it was finished, and, lighting a big fire of brushwood, they sat around it to rest. Andy and Boxy fell asleep, and the others dozed until nearly noon.